In late August 2023, Humber set out on an ambitious journey to redefine itself and what post-secondary education could look like in 2030 and beyond. This journey was called Humber Inspired and included discussions with more than a thousand people, including students, staff and industry and community partners, on Humber’s future and its purpose in society. A year later, the first step of that future is being realized with the announcement of the transformation from Humber College to Humber Polytechnic and its new brand, Builders of Brilliance.
“Our vision is rooted in the successes of our past,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber Polytechnic, to an enthusiastic audience at the annual President’s Breakfast. “It’s those successes that empower us to explore new and creative ways to deliver an exceptional experience to our students, to our partners, to our communities, and to all of you.”
Humber has been providing a polytechnic model of education since 1967. Offering a distinct third option between university and college – one that combines deep, theoretical learning with applied, hands-on experience to foster employability, not just employment for graduates. The polytechnic model is hands-on and industry responsive. Programs encourage learning by doing, developing the practical skills and competencies required in today’s workplaces and giving Humber graduates a leg-up in the labour market.
“Humber is preparing to lead a new era of higher education," said Vaughan. “While we may not be the first to use the word polytechnic, we’ll be the first to define it by focusing on three pillars: Reimagined Learning, Deeper Partnerships, and Driving Impact. We are going to be Builders of Brilliance.”
In recent years, challenges have peaked in labour markets and the economy. Productivity, the metric of economic growth, has been in decline in Canada for decades and continues to wear on other areas of society, especially in employability and the financial success of younger graduates. Also, Canada trails its peers in terms of investments in technology, education, training, and research and development, which further hinders its productivity output.
“As a country, we have struggled to live up to our potential to effectively convert innovation into commercial success,” said Tyler Charlebois, director, Centres of Innovation Network and Partnership Development at Humber, and a leading figure behind the Humber Inspired work.
Humber Polytechnic embraces a new identity that reflects its vision for the future. According to Vaughan, it represents a vision and a commitment to pioneer new interprofessional, collaborative approaches to teaching and learning, leveraging technology, partnerships, and experiential education to prepare learners for success in a rapidly changing world.
“Humber’s real strength is our breadth and depth of talent. We are the most comprehensive polytechnic in Canada,” said Vaughan. “As Humber Polytechnic, we will work with industry to solve Canada’s productivity crisis with the right programs, the right skills, the right partners and most importantly the right people.”
Over the next decade, Humber will lead the definition, discovery, value and possibilities of polytechnic education. As it embarks on this journey, Humber Polytechnic invites industry and employers to join with it to nurture and be a catalyst for a more prosperous and competitive Canada. More information can be found on Humber’s Building Brilliance website, including its vision to 2030 and beyond.